October 3, 2015
After a period spent in non-horse racing parts of Europe, it is time for me to saddle up and cover the recent deeds of the South Burnett racing fraternity.
* * *
The Jockeys
Nanango apprentices Hannah English and Hannah Phillips have both been treading along interesting pathways over the last few weeks.
The former has booted home eight winners this season.
Her highlight was a treble at Bundaberg for local conditioner Daryl Gardiner on September 5, and a Talwood double on August 22.
Her tally also includes successes at Cunnamulla, Goondiwindi and Roma.
Victory with Canid or Ede Fuse for her master Glenn Richardson at Tara on Saturday would be a special thrill as she has yet to land one for her home side.
Meanwhile, Hannah Phillips linked up with trainer Bryan Dixon for a far western tour of duty.
The duo teamed up 18 times over three successive Saturdays.
They won with Emperor at Beetoota on August 29 and were placed at Birdsville and Bedourie.
Their safari with nine individual horses amassed ten top four finishes.
Hannah’s other four winners for the new racing year included a harvest at Gladstone where two full books produced three wins, three seconds and a third.
There was another hometown success as well.
At Tara, Hannah rides White Diamond and Celtic Cat for her father Barry.
Meanwhile, Rhiannon Payne continues to work hard.
She chalked up a double at Rockhampton late last month and has Saturday engagements at the Gold Coast and Toowoomba.
Jason Missen, who injured his left foot in a mounting yard mishap at Nanango a fortnight ago, is hoping for a medical clearance on 12 October.
A favourable outcome would enable him to resume race-riding on the following Saturday.
Stephanie Lacy’s quadrella and Emily Cass’s double meant the pair scooped the pool last weekend at Taroom.
Lacy has been on fire this season.
A Surat double immediately preceded that picnic. so she rang up six in a row!
Her average, also aided by a Roma treble, is better than one-in-three. with her present status reading out at 35 for 12-4-2.
* * *
The Trainers
Tom Moloney’s small string has already been twice successful in the new racing year.
Yamanners won at Toowoomba on 1 August and then Famechon Baroness prevailed at Dalby in early September.
Hivesville’s Lindsay Anderson also continues to thrive with Glenthorn Avenue, with the Bel Esprit gelding collecting a cheque at seven of his last eight appearances.
The seven-year-old made it four wins from his latest seven attempts when he accounted for his open class rivals at Gympie last weekend.
The hardy competitor is set to take on Benchmark 70 company over 1200 metres at Saturday’s Kilcoy fixture.
The Andersons also have another iron on the fire.
They mated their mare Letter From France with Dash For Cash, and the resultant colt that was sold and prepared by Stephen Jones bolted in by nine lengths in a juvenile trial on a soft track at the Gold Coast.
The bay’s debut from the inside barrier at Doomben on Saturday will be on a firmer surface.
The Anderson camp will be in the money if the two-year-old earns a wage, because they will be eligible to collect the Breeder’s dividend as the race carries the QTIS bonuses.
* * *
The Studmasters
In a further boost to the local bloodstock industry, James and Laurie Curtain have announced that Fomalhaut has arrived at their Old Boyneside Thoroughbreds to join Over on their stallion register for this season.
The brown son of Spinning World and the Halo mare Coup De Folie saluted in the Prix des Sorbiers (1100m) at Chantilly and was four times placed in Listed short course company in France.
Fomalhault has superb credentials on both sides of his pedigree.
His sire fathered the Stradbroke winner Thorn Park, the Oaks winners Special Harmony and Heavenly Glow and the Auckland Cup hero Spin Around.
All seven of Spinning World’s Group 1 triumphs were over a mile on French, American and Irish tracks.
Coup De Folie, a Group 3 victress in France over a mile and an elite level placegetter, produced three French Group 1 winners.
Machiavellian was the European champion juvenile, Coup De Genie was the top French two-year-old filly and Exit To Nowhere took out the 1992 Prix Jacques le Marios (1600m), a classy event that also went Spinning World’s way in 1996-97.
Fomalhaut’s great grandam was Natalma.
She was the mother of the legendary Northern Dancer, Spinning World’s grand-sire through the Epsom Derby winner Nureyev.
Natalma also happens to be Danehill’s great grandam.
There certainly are some useful genes in the make-up of this brown entire that now resides near Kumbia.
Fomalhaut is named after the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus. The term is Arabic for “mouth of the fish” and is seemingly derived from a translation of how the astronomer Ptolemy labelled it.
It will not surprise if breeders with some well performed mares do nibble at the prospect of creating another stakes winner by Fomalhaut.
His pair thus far from limited chances are Maximus Moonard, the 2011 Merson Cooper winner at his only Australian start, and Achenar, a handy money-spinner whose 71 essays to date have recorded a 10-9-12 outcome.
* * *
Coming Up:
Kilcoy’s TAB program on Saturday sees the last start Nanango winner Jeptoo line up in the eight horse strong opening heat of the Cannonball Series, a six part competition over 800 metres for restricted gallopers.
A spot in the $30,000 final at the same course on 6 December depends on points accrued in the $16,000 legs at Kilcoy on October 3 and 30, Ipswich (October 16, November 25) and Warwick (November 15).
It is a tad surprising that the initial offering did not draw a capacity field plus emergencies.
On Saturday, Norma and Joshua King are participants at the Jundah meeting while Michael Murphy goes to Gordonvale.
Don’t forget that Wondai and Kumbia are the respective hosts for meetings that coincide with the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup Day programs on October 17 and November 3.
